United States or Serbia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


'He has brought a cow and wants to sell her to Gryb for thirty-five paper roubles and a silver rouble for the halter. She is a lovely cow. 'Let him sell her; what's that to do with me? 'This much: that you are going to buy her, said the woman firmly. Slimak dropped his hand with the whip, bent his head forward, and looked at his wife. The proposal seemed monstrous.

She would fall into a furrow and sleep until sundown, though she was paid for a full day's work. As she had a sharp tongue, Slimak had no wish to offend her. When he haggled about the money, she would kiss his hand and say: 'Why should you fall out with me, sir? Sell one chicken more and you'll be all right. 'Cheek always pays! thought Maciek.

'I have no witnesses, he said, 'therefore I will never mention the matter to you again. Since you swear to me here in the presence of other people, that you did not kiss me and beg for credit, I make you a present of your debt, but it's a shame, the publican added, spitting, 'that a man working for such a respectable gospodarz as Slimak, should cheat a poor Jew.

'Slimak drove them out of the house? she repeated, fingering the bodies, 'yes, that's my little girl, she's grown a bit; whoever heard of a child being frozen to death?... she was meant to come to a bad end. As God loves me, yes, that's my girl, my little girl they've murdered her; look at her! she suddenly became animated. 'Drive on, said the Soltys, 'we must be getting on.

At last Maciek roused himself and sat up; the light hurt his eyes, his head felt heavy like a rock; so he closed his eyes again, supported his head and tried to think; immediately he received a blow in the face from a fist. When at last he opened his eyes, he saw that it was Slimak who was standing over him, mad with rage. 'What are you hitting me for? he asked in amazement.

'Jendrek, you young dog, give the gentleman his cap when he tells you! he cried. Jendrek took the jockey cap between two fingers, holding it in front of him and offering it to the rider when he had succeeded in stopping his horse. 'Thank you, thank you very much, he said, no less amused than Jendrek himself. 'Jendrek, take off your cap to the gentleman at once, called Slimak.

Slimak dashed into the alcove, put on his sukmana and ran out, he did not know whither; he felt he must run somewhere. A voice seemed to cry to him: 'Father...father...if you had put up a fence, your child would not have been drowned! And the man answered: 'It is not my fault; the Germans bewitched him with their singing.

The moon was throwing a feeble light through the small squares of the window. Between waking and sleeping Slimak continued to meditate: 'Why shouldn't I sell? It's better to buy fifteen acres of land elsewhere, than to stay and have Jasiek Gryb as a neighbour.

Yet she listened without fear or regret, only with dim gratitude, mingled with recollections of her childhood. The door opened and Slimak said: 'The Lord be praised. 'In all eternity, answered Grochowski. When he stood up, his head nearly touched the ceiling. 'May God repay you, Soltys, for coming to us, said Slimak, shaking his hand. 'May God repay you for your kindness in receiving me.

And you, neighbour, don't spare the strap. 'She's not a bad girl, said Slimak. Sobbing heartily the girl fell first at her uncle's feet, then at the gospodarz's, and then escaped into the passage. She hugged herself and still emitted great sobs; but her eyes were dry. She began calling softly in a mournful voice: 'Pig! pig! pig! But the pigs had turned in for the night.